FAST FACTS:
(Memphis 06/13/2009) Cassandra Fullilove was one of the 130-thousand MLGW customers left in the dark Friday night. Saturday afternoon she and her neighbors watched anxiously as crews worked to restore power.
"We didn't have any lights. We've been without lights yesterday since 4:30-5pm, said Fullilove.
"We have people working around the clock 24 hours until we get this problem fixed," said Jerry Collins, President of MLGW.
The head of MLGW says fixing the problem won't happen overnight. In fact, it could take a week to restore power to everyone. Trees on power lines and split utility poles are causing jobs like this one to take nearly six hours.
"The tree company gets the tree off the power line. Then we go to work changing out poles, transformers, stringing the wire," said Collins.
With thousands of customers on their list, Collins says they have a system they start with hospitals and nursing homes, then move to circuits that have the most customers.
"Obviously if a has 7,000 customers we're going to be on that one very hard. If it's a circuit that has three customers out its going to take several days."
To help MLGW has called in back up. 40 crews from Chattanoga and Nashville will hit the streets, in hopes of getting the power back on faster. Seeing MLGW maybe a relief to Cassandra Fullilove but she knows it could still take time before she's out of the dark.
"I mean there's nothing we can do but wait and be patient," said Fullilove.
- Thousands of MLGW Customers Without Power
- Could Take A Week Before All Power Is Restored
- Crews Working Around The Clock
(Memphis 06/13/2009) Cassandra Fullilove was one of the 130-thousand MLGW customers left in the dark Friday night. Saturday afternoon she and her neighbors watched anxiously as crews worked to restore power.
"We didn't have any lights. We've been without lights yesterday since 4:30-5pm, said Fullilove.
"We have people working around the clock 24 hours until we get this problem fixed," said Jerry Collins, President of MLGW.
The head of MLGW says fixing the problem won't happen overnight. In fact, it could take a week to restore power to everyone. Trees on power lines and split utility poles are causing jobs like this one to take nearly six hours.
"The tree company gets the tree off the power line. Then we go to work changing out poles, transformers, stringing the wire," said Collins.
With thousands of customers on their list, Collins says they have a system they start with hospitals and nursing homes, then move to circuits that have the most customers.
"Obviously if a has 7,000 customers we're going to be on that one very hard. If it's a circuit that has three customers out its going to take several days."
To help MLGW has called in back up. 40 crews from Chattanoga and Nashville will hit the streets, in hopes of getting the power back on faster. Seeing MLGW maybe a relief to Cassandra Fullilove but she knows it could still take time before she's out of the dark.
"I mean there's nothing we can do but wait and be patient," said Fullilove.
